Understanding Temperature: 55- 57 degrees F (14 degrees C) is considered to be the ideal temperature for storing and properly aging wine. If the temperature consistently fluctuates up or down several degrees, your wines will be compromised and may age prematurely. Some cooling units are controlled using an in-bottle liquid temperature device, which signals the unit to adjust when it senses a change of 2 to 4 degrees of temperature in the liquid. Unfortunately, by the time the wine inside the insulated bottle reacts to the fluctuation, the air in the cellar has already shifted many more critical degrees.

Avoid Home Refrigeration To Store Wine. A standard home refrigerator makes a poor wine cooling solution for several reasons. It is designed specifically to store and look after food products, not to store wines. An atmosphere that works well for meat and vegetables is far too cold and dry for your expensive wine. The preferred temperature for home refrigeration is somewhere between 35ºF and 38ºF (1.7 to 3.3ºC)